NGC 6357/Pismis 24: Multi-Wavelength Catalog of Young Stars and Disks

NASA's catalog provides multi-wavelength photometry for young stellar objects in the Pismis 24 cluster within the NGC 6357 complex. It combines optical, infrared (2MASS, Spitzer), and X-ray (Chandra) observations to study disk evolution and stellar properties. The data includes photometry in 9 bands from 0.55 to 8 microns, a revised distance estimate of 1.7 +/- 0.2 kpc, and a derived median cluster age of 1 Myr.

Use Cases

• Study circumstellar disk evolution based on infrared color-color diagrams mentioned in the description
• Analyze the impact of stellar encounters and photoevaporation on disk properties in massive clusters
• Compare the initial mass function of Pismis 24 with other regions like the Trapezium cluster
• Identify and characterize young stellar objects using combined X-ray and infrared data

Strengths

• Multi-wavelength data from 9 photometric bands (0.55 to 8 microns) combining VLT, 2MASS, Spitzer, and Chandra observations
• Includes a revised distance estimate (1.7 +/- 0.2 kpc) and median age (1 Myr) for the Pismis 24 cluster
• Photometry is complemented by optical spectroscopic observations for reliable spectral typing of some members

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observational data from VLT/VIMOS (optical), 2MASS (near-IR), Spitzer IRAC (mid-IR), and Chandra ACIS-I (X-ray), combined for analysis.

Time Range

Observations were performed in 2006 (Spitzer), 2008 (VLT), and previously published Chandra data from 2007.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:59:31.868136; freshness should be verified

Geography

Covers the NGC 6357 star-forming complex, specifically the Pismis 24 cluster.